


Lost in Translation

by Symph95



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bokuto is trying is best, Boys In Love, Confessions, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Love Letters, M/M, Misunderstandings, a bit of angst, because Akaashi overthinks way too much, he's bad at words though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:40:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27750154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symph95/pseuds/Symph95
Summary: Bokuto knows Akaashi likes literature. He knows he likes big words. He just doesn't know how to use them.or, Bokuto writes Akaashi a love letter but Akaashi thinks it's a joke.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 5
Kudos: 169





	Lost in Translation

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there! I wrote this after my friend and I were discussing the idea of Bokuto writing a love letter to Akaashi but not knowing how to write one at ALL. This also stems from Bokuto always asking Akaashi if the big words he uses are correct. Anyways I hope you like it! Enjoy :D

Akaashi was used to confessions. They came regularly, almost every week. Someone pulled him behind the school gates with their hands fidgeting and blossoms of red spouted across their cheeks. They stuttered at first with eyes glancing to and fro before he became the attention of their loving words, and then they would hold their breath in anticipation. He spoke, they sighed, and he received their avoidance for at least a week. Then the cycle would repeat.

At first it was fine, touching even. The attention was something he wasn’t quite used to, especially in a romantic context. However, he was fine without it. He thought that after a few rejections the girls would get the memo he wasn’t into them. Five confessions in and he had yet to even give one compliment. But apparently that only made him more enticing. The confessions piled up as though his heart was a contest, and his acceptance the prize. It grew so out of control that the courtesy he tried to give at first vanished. 

Now when a girl came up to him at his lunch break, he clenched his fists, counted the seconds, cut a sharp ‘I’m not interested’ then returned to lunch with Bokuto. He talked little on those days, more so than usual. His guest noticed, and he said, again, he rejected someone. At this point he believed himself to be a broken cassette stuck on loop. 

So when he sat down at his desk after another rejection, he nearly ripped apart the letter sitting on it. The heart on the envelope was gaudy, as though he didn’t already know its contents. 

But he hesitated, for this was different. Very rare did he receive a letter only. They were typically given to him in person with the usual twitchyness and tomato faces. Akaashi never bothered to read them, already declining the person’s offer. There was only one person who he would permit access to his heart anyways.

Turning the paper over, he found no name for the culprit. The front only said two words ‘read me’ with an exclamation mark at the ending. He cringed at the heart at the end. 

Sighing, Akaashi ripped the sticker off and pulled out the paper. Under his fingers, the paper was worn, with many fibers missing. It was folded in half to conceal its contents. Akaashi teased the idea of not opening it. But reading it now, he reminded himself, would save any further headaches.

Except… it didn’t.

Opening it, he was met with scrawled handwriting that he recognized from hours of looking over game plans. Even before looking at the words, he knew the writer. He kept his heart from leaping as he read the contents, but couldn’t stuff his grin. 

_ Akaashi, _

_ I have liked you for an internally but have never known how to express it. You are a quintessential person and emanate brighter than the galaxy. Your smile irritates my world and being around you makes me exurbanite.  _

_ I hope you spouse my love. Meet me at 7 behind the gym if you do. _

_ ~Your Secret Devoidee _

Akaashi read the note once, first trying to comprehend it, then a second time where the words and their meaning solidified in his mind. The warmth in his chest turned cold, and he scowled. His heart once soaring smashed on the ground, twitching its last beats. 

With an inhale, he lowered the letter before tearing a clean rip through the center. The words tore in half, the joke alongside it and he discarded the shreds in his backpack. He kept himself from shaking and took to calming his face into tight lines. His mind began to run circles around itself.

Did Bokuto find this a joke? He knew he hated the confessions, although Akaashi never said it was because he missed spending time with him. But he should know not to do something like this. Surely, Akaashi’s demeanor should’ve told him this was a sensitive subject. So why had he made a fake letter? 

_ Unless it’s real.  _

Akaashi shook the thought from his head. That was impossible. Bokuto was direct with all his emotions. If he were doing to tell him he liked him he would do so flat out; there would be no need for a letter and secrecy like this. 

_ But he could— _

Akaashi shut that thought down before anything akin to hope could take flight in his chest. 

The only saving grace Akaashi got from his spiraling mind was the professor making his way in for their lecture. Even still he concocted his own plan for his confrontation. 

Oh, Bokuto would have his meeting alright, only so Akaashi could understand why he decided to play with his heart. 

He wouldn’t meet Bokuto right away. That was impossible anyways. With the amount of people milling about at practice, any talk of a love letter would spark much unneeded drama. Konoha’s gossip was the last thing Akaashi needed breathing down his back.

So when he arrived in the locker room, he attempted to act the same. He said his greetings to Komi and Washio and Bokuto. Or at least he  _ tried  _ to say hello to Bokuto, but instead was met with a half baked greeting as he sprinted out the door to the gym. His face was noticeably redder than normal.

“What’s he so worked up about?” Komi asked.

Akaashi watched as he left before shrugging off his jacket. “I have no idea.” 

Komi and Washio exchanged a look before they finished getting changed.

Practice started with simple passing drills. Bokuto normally pulled Akaashi away before the coach finished giving instructions. But today he clung to Konoha, only giving Akaashi a single glance before staring at the floor. 

Akaashi partnered with Sarukui, not letting the interaction phase him. He did notice Konoha making weird looks at them. His gaze kept dancing between him and Bokuto as though there were some code between them. In his distraction, Akaashi almost hit his face on Sarukui’s pass.

Afterwards, they went through spiking practice where Bokuto said his first words to Akaashi since lunch. When Akaashi set to him, his chest queased, and the ball was far shorter than it was supposed to be. Bokuto smacked it down nonetheless but said nothing about it. The silence grew goosebumps on Akaashi’s skin.

He could tell the rest of the team knew something was amiss. They were glancing between one another, and Konoha was whispering to Komi. Akaashi didn’t believe it had anything to do with his typical gossip. 

As practice drew to a close, Coach Yamiji assigned everyone to teams for two-on-twos. To Akaashi’s luck, he got paired with Bokuto. Normally, Bokuto would be all over him about it, but he slid away and kept an arm’s length distance between them. He didn’t even say a word. Akaashi felt his face ache.

They were the first to go with their opponents being Konoha and Washio. The playing started out fine with a few rallies and Bokuto and Akaashi acquiring an early lead. But Akaashi could tell Bokuto was being far more quiet than normal. His enthusiasm was quite low. As Washio feinted it, Bokuto dived for it without calling, but Akaashi spun to go for it as well. 

They collided with each other, their bodies painfully smacking in a loud clap. Akaashi’s head spun as he bounced to the floor. His chest grew warm, and the calm face he normally wore dissolved.

“Could you speak properly?” he said.

Bokuto froze from where he was trying to get up. Panic stood his face on alert. If the headache Akaashi received wasn’t pounding in his brain, he might’ve apologized. But from the earlier note and Bokuto’s horrendous playing and avoidance, he had little care left in him.

“I’m sorry,” Bokuto said. “I should’ve called for that.”

Akaash waited for the hair tug and loud outburst but never received it. So he stood, and shook his head.

“Yeah, you should’ve.”

A cough drew his attention to the sidelines where everyone was watching. His face grew hot and his fingers pulled against each other as the whole team stared at them.

“Let’s have you two sit out. Get some ice for your heads.” Coach Yamiji said. 

The rest of practice went with the two of them sitting on the sidelines not talking to each other. When Coach Yamiji finally declared that practice was over, Akaashi bolted upright to tear down the courts. He didn’t bother asking Bokuto if he wanted to practice spiking because his ‘date’ would be during their usual practice time.

“So… is everything okay with you and Bokuto?” Konoha asked, coming up to Akaashi as he fiddled with the net straps.

Akaashi hesitated for a split second. “Yes. Everything’s fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”

“You looked mad at him all practice,” Konoha said. “Like you were glaring at him most of the time.”

Akaashi blinked. “I was?”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen you that upset. And you snapped at him but not in a sarcastic way. And—”

“I get the idea.” Akaashi cut him off.

“So what stupid thing did he do now? I can give you pointers if you need any.”

Akaashi hesitated for a second before starting. “Did he…”

“Nevermind it’s nothing,” Akaashi shook his head as he finished tearing down the net. “I have to discuss something with him. No need for concern.”

At least that was what he told himself. Konoha looked as convinced as he was.

“Really?” Konoha said.

“Yeah.”

With one more final look, he shrugged. “Alright. Then I’ll leave you two to it.”

They finished tearing down the rest of the gym quickly and made their way to the locker rooms. Unsurprisingly, Bokuto was not there. The rest of the team teased Akaashi about his earlier collision, but he was more concerned with what to say to Bokuto. He lost his cool once today, he did not need to do it again, although the cheap trick felt like it deserved some of his wrath.

The team cleared out with Akaashi dragging behind. He stared at the clock finding it to be seven o’clock already and made his way behind the gym. Taking in a deep breath, he rounded the corner to find a lone figure standing there in the moonlight. Akaashi scolded his heart for its sudden beating and his mind for its commentary on how romantic this scene appeared to be.

This was over a joke, he reminded himself.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, stepping forward.

Bokuto mirrored him taking an excited leap forward. His eyes were sparkling, and there were little hints of red on his cheeks that made little sense to Akaashi.

“You came!” He said. “I really wasn’t sure if you would because of practice. Sorry again about running into you. I just got a little carried away. I was super nervous you wouldn’t show up, but you’re here! So that means—”

“Explain to me the purpose of your joke.” 

Bokuto froze, his eyes blink owlishly. 

“My what?” Bokuto said. 

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Bokuto blinked again and Akaashi saw the gears working in his brain. They didn’t catch on anything.

“I… don’t?” Bokuto said. “I know I say some funny stuff Akaashi, ‘cause you tell me, but I didn’t think I said anything that funny. Was it when I ran into you? My head was a little dizzy after that.”

Akaashi clenched his teeth as heat spread through his stomach. He forced it down, not allowing his evident anger show. But it slipped out anyways.

“Your fake love letter.” Akaashi said.

Bokuto blinked as though he wasn’t aware of his crime. “My fake what? I didn’t fake anything Akaashi.”

“Then what was the purpose of your note? I have already expressed my frustrations with confessions, so why did you decide to send me a rip off love letter?”

“Rip off…” Bokuto said. He curled smaller and the heat in Akaashi’s chest relented, but he wouldn’t let it go. “But I meant it…”

“What?”

“I tried to write that for you because you’d gotten so many face to face confessions and rejected all of them. I wanted to stand out somehow. And I know you like literature and big words so I tried to make it a fancy letter! I thought that would impress you.”

“I…” Akaashi’s mouth fell open and stayed there. He gawked at Bokuto for a good minute. The heat his chest completely dispelled now. Had he misread the whole situation?

“It was real?”

Bokuto nodded. “Yeah! I really like you Akaashi.”

Suddenly, it all clicked with the pieces coming into place. The words in the letter were ones he asked Akaashi about but didn’t understand their meanings. He probably used those, and the rest he swapped for the incorrect words. It was a big mess, but the intention was still there. 

Akaashi let out a soft chuckle. He thought he knew Bokuto, but clearly he still had yet to understand all of him. 

“You alright Akaashi? I mean if you don’t like me—”

“I owe you an apology Bokuto-san,” Akaashi cut him off. “Clearly I didn't realize your true intentions. I misread your note and took it in the wrong way. I hope you can forgive me and accept my feelings.”

“Your feelings… wait! That means you—”

Akaashi grinned. “Yes Bokuto, I like you. You don’t need a few big words to impress me.”

Bokuto grinned and pumped his fists in the air, and Akaashi’s heart soared with Bokuto’s smile. They embraced a second later with Bokuto smothering him. 

“I  _ really  _ like you Akaashi. You’re um… what’s the word? Exhortatory!”

“Extraordinary Bokuto-san. Our first date is going to be improving that dictionary of yours.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, my baby bois in love :D I hope you guys liked this, if anyone wants me to break down Bokuto's thought process and what the words for the letter are supposed to be, let me know! Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a great day. Stay safe!


End file.
